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The Arcane Vault

Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 5:18 pm
by eah
What is The Arcane Vault?
Spoiler:
It's a collection of 12 separate automatic item exchangers. Traditionally, exchanging items is a two-player activity. Automating the process means the presence of the other player at the time of the trade is not required. The automation at the vault is accomplished using a custom-designed vanilla redstone circuit.

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I really want TNT and gunpowder.
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Where is it?
Spoiler:
It's 50 blocks east from the spawn point. Type /spawn. Turn left. It's on the left half of your screen.

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How do I use it?
Spoiler:
Trading is pretty straightforward. You really don't need instructions, but here they are anyway.

1. Choose a trade. In front of each trading stall displays the input item, the output item, and the trading ratio. The trading ratio is just two numbers, the first of which is the number of input items you need to give and the second of which is the number of output items you will receive per trade. Trading is one-way. You can't give the output and receive the input. Outside and inside the stall is a redstone lamp. If the lamp is off, then trading is not available.

2. Enter the stall and stand on the pressure plate. Squeeze yourself into the corner toward the hopper and dropper.

3. Throw the required items in the hopper. Aim high. Items that do not match the required input item are automatically returned to you. The number of items given is remembered. This means if you give less than required, it will wait for the rest before you receive anyting. You can give any number of items and they will be correctly counted and processed. The circuit is capable of processing items continuously -- there's no need to throw items in one at a time. Furthermore, each stall can be used a limited number of times. If you give more items than can be exchanged, then the extra items are automatically returned to you. The only limitation is the hopper you throw items into has 5 item slots (as all hoppers do). If the hopper is full, further items given will sit on the hopper until the hopper has space for the items.

4. Wait for output items. Hoppers move items at 2.5 items per second. This means larger ratios have a longer waiting time. The time between giving the items and receiving the first item is 0.4 seconds per required input item (plus about a 1-second delay). The time between successive trades is 0.4 * max(X, Y), where X:Y is the trading ratio. This time is also displayed in each stall so that you known how long you expect to wait.

5. Profit.
Summary of Abilities
Spoiler:
It is fully automatic - Throw items in. No pushing of buttons required.

It is sorted - Invalid items are automatically returned to you.

It has memory - It remembers how many items you give after any amount of time. Designing it to be memoryless would have complicated the circuit.

It is general - That is, it has an easily configurable trade ratio X:Y where X is between 1 and 320 and Y is between 1 and 320.

It is continuous - Items are correctly counted and processed one after the other at 2.5 items per second. There is no delay between items given that must be honored by the player.

It is empty safe - It has a "quick shutdown" ability whereby a portion of the items you give are correctly counted and processed and the rest are automatically returned to you. This occurs when the output stock suddenly becomes empty and coincides with the redstone lamps inside and outside the stall turning off.

It is overflow safe - In some auto shops, some parts of the circuit process items faster than others and this may cause items to accumulate and possibly overflow which may be handled in various ways or not at all. This design cannot overflow.

It is fast - Our previous auto shop could complete trades in max(0.1 + 0.4 * X, 0.8 * Y) + 0.4 * X seconds per trade -- a very inelegant solution. I rethought things and found that it can be simpler. The vault has a trade time of 0.4 * max(X, Y) seconds per trade -- an increase in speed of between 100 and 200% depending on the ratio. For example, 1:1 takes 0.4 seconds instead of 1.2 seconds. 1:2 takes 0.8 seconds instead of 2.0 seconds. 1:64 takes 25.6 seconds instead of 51.6 seconds. This has a big impact when you're exchanging with or for an item that typically comes in large quantities (for example, wool).

It is not partial auto-refundable - If you partially complete a trade, but decide you can't or don't want to complete it fully, you can't get back the items you already gave. Implementing this would have complicated the circuit.

It is not reversible - An auto shop is reversible if item A can be exchanged for item B and item B can be exchanged for item A and the input items of each are automatically moved to the output storage of the other. This is difficult because it is easy to move items downward, but difficult to move items upward.

Re: The Arcane Vault

Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2016 6:40 am
by legokrin
I think I like Fallout Vaults instead of Lion Heads.

Re: The Arcane Vault

Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2016 4:17 pm
by eah
I added a sign to show how rich we are.

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Re: The Arcane Vault

Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2016 12:38 am
by Grelman
Pretty cool, you've almost obscured the much better build behind it.

Re: The Arcane Vault

Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2016 2:30 am
by XsyntaXerrorX
eah wrote:I added a sign to show how rich we are.
Yup 5th place. Only 10m behind, not bad.

Re: The Arcane Vault

Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2016 5:59 am
by ATC
This looks great. :)

I guess it should not indicate material abilities but more the emotional richness of this famous guild. Seeing the price level of the shop I doubt they want to become rich... it's really customer friendly :)

Re: The Arcane Vault

Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2016 8:36 am
by eah
Grelman wrote:Pretty cool, you've almost obscured the much better build behind it.
And replaced it with beautiful calligraphy made of gold! See how far we've come:

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Jokes aside, I like the build behind it too. I've been concerned about obscuring it ever since it was built. But frankly it sounds like you're trying to say "Build underground or get out." I like how the vault looks. I admit it could use some more color, but I don't think it's an eye sore. People have different building styles and different tastes. Spawn has been a quilt for as long as it's existed and that's what makes it great.

Re: The Arcane Vault

Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2016 9:17 am
by ATC
Grelman wrote:Pretty cool, you've almost obscured the much better build behind it.
You mean the one that you see when you put Render Distance to 301 chunks?

Yes, you are right.

Re: The Arcane Vault

Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 2:04 pm
by eah
Trading now 3 Emerald Blocks for 1 Diamond. It's a world record.

Re: The Arcane Vault

Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2018 4:50 pm
by eah
Update:

* Shop transformed into a greenhouse due to neglect.
* Arcane banner complete
* Added mini tomb to aid in sand acquisition project
* Removed big diamond door
* Added easter eggs

Updated trades:
1 Wither Skull for 3 Diamond Blocks
64 Sand for 1 Diamond
128 Iron Blocks for 1 Diamond Block
1 Lapis Lazuli Block for 1 Diamond
16 Podzol for 1 Diamond
3 Blue Wool for 1 Emerald
32 Spruce Logs for 1 Diamond
1 Quartz Ore for 3 Diamonds
1 Mending Book for 4 Emerald Blocks
1 Diamond Pickaxe for 2 Emerald Blocks
3 Emerald Blocks for 1 Diamond
9 Coal Blocks for 1 Diamond